


And Then There Were Some

by Peach_Medusa



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Basically a mix between Clue and Murder She Wrote, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak is a Mess, Graphic Description of Corpses, Henry Bowers Being an Asshole, M/M, Mentioned Sonia Kaspbrak, Murder, Murder Mystery, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Violence, very minor Ben Hanscom/ Beverly Marsh, very minor Bill Denbrough/ Mike Hanlon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:55:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27286042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peach_Medusa/pseuds/Peach_Medusa
Summary: Downtrodden Eddie Kaspbrak receives an invitation to attend a fancy dinner party at a mansion located on a private island. But when he arrives he is surprised to discover his childhood friends there. Why were they all invited here and who is their mysterious host? A tale of murder, mystery, and pining.~Part of "HallowRen's Spooktacular IT Project". My prompt for my fic was murder mystery. Please check out the other wonderful authors in this collection!
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 7
Kudos: 19
Collections: HallowRen's Spooktacular IT Project





	And Then There Were Some

**Author's Note:**

> I think this is the first murder mystery I have ever written so I hope you all enjoy it. I tried to add some twists and turns but not make it too serious. I'm very lucky to be participating in this lovely Halloween writing challenge with all these amazing writers! Please go check out their stuff and everyone have a happy and safe Halloween!

Eddie ran his sweaty palms down his pants. After paying the taxi driver, he turned to the mansion in front of him. It was the biggest house Eddie had ever seen, let alone gone into. There was a boom behind him and he turned his head upwards. Dark clouds lingered along the sky blocking out the last whispers of lingering sun. As Eddie walked up the stone stairs he was in awe at the columns lining the front of the porch, they were at least three times his size which he guessed wasn’t saying much when he only stood at 5’5”. But their looming presence emphasized even more how out of place Eddie felt in this environment. 

When Eddie got to the front door he smoothed his hand over his suit and fixed his bow tie. The suit was from an old roommate of his and a little loose on his small frame. He pulled out the letter from his pants pocket and read over it once more before knocking on the door.

After a few seconds of waiting the front door was swung open and Eddie was face to face with a man in a black suit. He was wearing white gloves and peeking out from under his jacket was a grey waistcoat. Eddie moved to button up his own jacket further, ashamed that he only had a dress shirt underneath. As Eddie looked at the man's face he felt a spark of deja vu but when all he got was a cold look in return he shrugged off the feeling.

The man, who Eddie presumed to be this house's butler, looked Eddie up and down, “You must be one of the masters guests. Your name sir?” 

“Oh um,” Eddie fumbled with the letter “Edward Kaspbrak, sir” he turned it towards the butler who scanned it over before stepping to the side and gesturing to Eddie to enter.

“You are the first guest to arrive. While we wait for the others, why don’t you stay in the lounge, there are drinks and hors d'oeuvres if you so desire.” The butler walked over to said room and opened the door for Eddie. 

“Thank you very much, um sorry I should have asked, what is your name?” Eddie walked into the room fidgeting from where he stood. 

The butler smiled, “You can just refer to me as Reginald, Mr.Kaspbrak.” Reginald closed the door behind him and Eddie was left alone in the room. 

Eddie scanned the room, his eyes settling on a painting that hung above the fireplace. It displayed a cliffside with raging waters beneath it. While walking over to the picture Eddie bumped into the table holding the drinks and panicked. He grabbed onto the wobbling frame, he could feel (even through his scuffed loafers) just how expensive this carpet was, there was no way he could afford to pay for a replacement. 

Just as Eddie was composing himself he heard the door open. He stared on in shock. 

“Bill?” 

Bill Denborugh walked into the room looking like he stepped off the red carpet. His suit was black and obviously tailored to his build, Eddie was reminded once again about his own ill-fitted clothing. When Bill turned to look towards Eddie his eyes widened. 

“Eddie?” He walked towards Eddie, “Oh my gosh it really is you! How have you been?” 

“I’ve been doing fine Bill.” Eddie smiled holding his arms open for a hug that Bill reciprocated. “How have you been? I heard you have two new books coming out this winter and one of them already has a movie deal.” 

Bill rubbed the back of his neck in an awkward fashion, “Yeah that movie deal surprised me if we’re being honest. I was so certain the other book would be more popular.” 

Eddie was happy to see Bill but also confused as to why he was here. Then the door opened once again. 

In walked another member of Eddie’s past, “Stan?” 

Stan paused as he walked through the doorway, “Bill and Eddie?” Stan was wearing a tan suit with a red sweater vest peeking out from under the jacket. It reminded Eddie of a robin, a bird often pointed out by Stan when they would walk together in the woods during their youth. 

Stan chuckled as he walked over to the duo, “Gosh Eddie did you grow at all since we last saw each other?” 

“Sorry we can’t all be giraffes like you Stan,” Eddie huffed, but there was no bite in his words. 

The three continued to make small talk, Stan and Bill both partaking in the champagne arranged on the table Eddie almost knocked to the ground. Then two more bodies entered the room chatting with one another. 

“Woah.” Mike stopped his previous conversation, “I was just saying how funny it was to see Ben here but it's uh a surprise to see Bill, Stan, and Eddie here too.” 

Eddie looked over at his friends. Mike and Ben both looked great. The light grey of Ben’s suit brought out the pale blue of his eyes and Mike’s burgundy suit looked great against his complexion. Great, Eddie thought to himself, all my childhood friends look like supermodels, this better not be a giant plot just to humiliate me. 

“This is pretty odd.” Bill said, “Do you guys know why we're here? I got this weird invitation.”

“I also got a weird invitation.” Mike said. 

“Yeah me too.” Stan agreed. 

Ben and Eddie nodded along. 

“What did your letters say?” Stan asked, looking at the group. 

Eddie went to open his mouth to respond but the door opened once more. This time another set of familiar people walked in. 

“Jeez you think a rich dude would have a weather machine or something. It's wetter than a soccer mom who just got a refund after pestering the teenage cashier.” Richie said as he entered the room but he stopped in his tracks upon seeing everyone. 

“Richie?” Eddie said, his voice strained in his own ears. 

Richie stood with his mouth hung open and water still dripping from his curls. His suit was black, no, a very dark purple, it wasn’t buttoned up at all but instead opened to show his garish button up underneath. It was so Richie that it sent a warm rush of nostalgia through Eddie. Beverly stood beside Richie, she looked as beautiful as Eddie remembered. The dark green of her dress highlighted the green in her eyes and the red in her hair. If Eddie had been more intune with fashion he would have called Beverly’s dress an a-line off the shoulder floor length dress with a slit down the side, but since he wasn’t he just referred to it in his head as ‘a pretty dress’. A pearl bracelet was loosely wrapped around her left wrist, Eddie wondered how much it cost.

“Holy shit,” Beverly said before rushing to the group and enveloping as much of them as she could in a hug, “it’s been so long!” her slightly damp outfit rubbed up against Eddie. 

“It's been what? A little over 20 years?” Mike said, a smile plastered onto his face. 

“It's been longer for others, I left freshman year of highschool.” Beverly said as she pulled apart from the group. 

“You’re right I think the one who stayed the longest was Eddie right?” Bill asked. 

“It went Beverly, Bill, Ben, Stan, Mike, and then-” Eddie took a pause to stare at Richie who was still a few feet away from him. “Richie. I didn’t move until I finished college.” 

“Yeah your mom begged me to stay but unfortunately I had to go.” Richie said as he made his way towards the group, plucking a champagne glass off the table as he went. “There were other moms in the world that desperately needed lovin’,” Richie gave his best shit eating grin he could muster. 

Eddie rolled his eyes, “Why is everyone here now though? Is this some kind of surprise reunion?” 

The rest of the group shrugged, “I don’t know about everyone else but I got a letter telling me to come here for a special dinner party.” Beverly said.

“Yeah I got a letter like that too.” Ben pulled out a piece of paper from his jacket. 

“Did your letters uh say anything other than that?” Eddie asked, he fidgeted in his spot. 

The others shared nervous glances before shaking their heads. Eddie pulled at the end of his sleeves, this scenario was odd and he could feel the anxiety growing inside him. He wanted to go back home to his small one bedroom apartment and crawl into his lumpy bed. 

The door to the lounge opened for the fifth time and Reginald walked through. “Dinner is ready.” 

The group of seven reluctantly followed Reginald to the kitchen where each of them sat down. There were eight plates laid out and everyone's head turned to the empty seat at the head of the table. 

“Hey Jeeves, who’s sitting there? The same person who sent the letters?” Richie asked. 

“Your questions will be answered in due time. For now enjoy your hors d'oeuvres, the chef worked very hard on them. The master tends to be fashionably late.” And with that Reginald disappeared into the kitchen. 

Eddie looked down at his plate, seven small finger foods were laid out. Eddie picked up one that looked like a piece of bread with some kind of cheese and possibly salmon on top. When he plopped it into his mouth he almost moaned at the taste. Eddie had not had really good food in forever and hardly got a chance to buy fish. He glanced at everyone else who tentatively ate their appetizers in silence. 

“So anyone else finding this whole situation sketchy as hell?” Richie asked after shoving a cracker with some kind of fancy cheese into his mouth. 

“I think we can all agree this is...questionable. Also don’t talk with your mouth full.” Stan shot a glare at Richie who smiled before opening his mouth and showing the half-chewed up food lying on his tongue. Stan recoiled and Richie laughed, full and hearty. 

Eddie wanted to puke at the sight of the mushy food but couldn’t help but feel a warmth form in his chest at the sound of Richie’s laugh. The noise settled into his ears like it had lived there its whole life. 

“You and Bev came together, did you meet again before this?” Ben asked. 

“Oh no, my car broke down on the bridge and Richie pulled up like my knight in shining Hawaiin print and drove me the rest of the way.” Beverly finished her explanation by popping a cracker into her mouth. 

“The bridge to this place is pretty insane right?” Bill asked, “like it's amazing that they were able to build a bridge that long and just to go to this one house.” 

“This house is beautiful too. Did you guys see the Corinthian columns out front? Absolutely gorgeous.” Ben beamed at the group. Eddie had no idea what he was talking about but the light in his eyes was enough to bring a smile to Eddie’s face. 

“This place looks like it was built around the late 1800’s or early 1900’s.” Mike said, “It's amazing that it's in such nice condition.” 

Mike and Ben continued to talk about the house and Eddie shrunk back into his seat. He was reminded how smart all of his friends were. He felt inferior in comparison. 

Eddie felt an elbow nudge his side, “Hey Eds do you think if I start talking about my colonoscopy I can get one of them to throw something at me?” 

“If you talk about that I’ll throw something at you.” Eddie chuckled, his smile bright on his face. 

After the appetizers were done with, Reginald appeared again with a tray in his hands. He laid a bowl of soup out in front of everyone and this time dropped off a bowl at the empty spot at the head of the table. Just then the door opened, all seven people gasped as Henry Bowers walked into the room and sat down at the head of the table. 

Eddie felt himself tremble in his seat. None of them had seen Henry Bowers since the summer after eight grade. He had gone missing and after a few months of searching was thought to be dead. His father had moved not long after, most thought because he was so distraught over the loss of his son but Eddie knew better. Mr.Bowers was just happy to have nothing tying him down in Derry. 

But the Henry in front of Eddie now was not the one from their childhood. His facial features were slightly off and there were three long scars lying diagonally along his face. Eddie tried to remind himself of all the horrible things Henry had done to him and his friends in their childhood but he still couldn’t help but feel sad for him, it looked like he had gone through Hell and back.

As Eddie felt himself still shaking in his chair a gentle hand was placed on his knee, he looked over to see Richie staring daggers at Henry. 

“Good evening everyone.” Henry spoke, Eddie noticed that even his voice was slightly off. “I bet you’re all very surprised to see me and are dying to find out why I called you all here.” No one said anything but the answer was clear. “Don’t worry by the end of the night you’ll have your answers. Go ahead and eat.” Henry gestured to the soup. Everyone looked nervously at one another and then the food in front of them. Henry sighed before taking a spoonful himself as if to show there was nothing to worry about. 

“Henry, how are you here? The last time I was in Derry you were still missing.” Bill asked. 

Henry took a long drink of his soup before placing his spoon down, “It's a long story. But to summarize I woke up along the Kenduskeag river with no memory of who I was. After eventually wandering to a town I was at first taken to a hospital and then an orphanage where I was fortunate enough to be adopted to very well-off parents. Unfortunately they passed away during my senior year of highschool.” Henry looked towards the floor a somber expression on his face, “that was subsequently the same year I got my memories back. My birth father had also unfortunately passed away so I was stuck by myself with all the wealth my parents had left me.” 

“What’s wrong with your face?” Richie asked. Eddie slapped him on the side for the crass question. 

“I was in an accident not too long ago. Lots of facial reconstruction surgery.” Henry said simply. 

The whole table fell silent, only the clicking of silverware and the faint sound of the storm outside punctuated the silence. Eddie hesitantly ate his soup, finding it tasted even better than the appetizers. Richie was the only one who refused to eat and instead took another gulp of his glass of champagne. 

“Ok,” Stan said, setting his spoon down, “This is too awkward. Tell us why we’re here Henry or I’m just going to leave.” 

“I agree with Stan the man. I’m not going to have dinner with the guy who used to torture us when we were younger, even if he is rich now.” Richie said as he stood from his seat. 

“Richie,” Eddie hissed. 

“No Eds, you think just ‘cus his face is all fucked up now I have to be nice to him? Do you remember how he would hurt us when we were younger? The names he used to scream at us all the time?” Richie looked at Eddie who avoided his gaze. 

“You have done some pretty bad things Henry. You can’t expect us to just have dinner with you and forget everything, no questions asked.” Bill said. 

Henry looked angry for a moment before taking in a deep breath and sighing. He set down his silverware and wiped his mouth on his cloth napkin. “I suppose you are right. I thought we could have a nice dinner before getting down to business but I guess we can skip to the fun.” He stood up from his chair. “Follow me to the library.” 

Everyone stood up and followed Henry out of the room. Upon entering the library Eddie was fascinated by how many books lined the walls, he could spend the rest of his life trapped in here reading and still not finish every book. 

“Take a seat.” Henry said from behind Eddie, he placed his hand on the small of Eddie’s back causing the shorter man to flinch. 

Eddie quickly made his way to the red velvet couch, sitting next to Richie. Stan sat on the other side of Richie while Mike and Bill had found singular chairs and Beverly and Ben shared a love seat. Henry waited by the door as Reginald walked by handing off seven small boxes to Henry before disappearing again. 

Henry walked to each of the losers handing them each a box. Eddie held the object in his hand noticing the calligraphy on the lid that spelled out his name. “You are all right. I didn’t bring you all here just for a casual dinner party. These boxes are for you but I only ask that you don’t open them until I return to the room, I have one more thing I need to get ready.” Before anyone could say anything else Henry slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

“Well, fuck,” Richie said. 

They sat in that room for over an hour, very little was said between the group. Everyone was too on edge to talk. Richie was pacing back and forth as he was not one to keep still for longer than ten minutes. 

“Where the hell is he?” Richie asked. 

“Calm down Richie it's not like he just left us here forever.” Stan said. 

“Yeah he has to come back at some point and if not we can just leave right?” Mike was turned to the books, scanning over their spines. 

“What’s up with these boxes though?” Bill shook his box in his hand hearing a thumping sound. 

Beverly put a hand on Bill's arm, “Be careful with that, Henry is being super shady. I don’t trust him or these boxes.” 

“Fuck it,” Richie said, stopping his pacing and grabbing his box that was left on the couch. 

“Richie,” Eddie hissed, “Henry said not to open those until he came back.” 

“Well it's been over an hour Eds and I’m getting tired of waiting. What about everyone else?” Richie scanned the group who all looked contemplative before picking up their own boxes. Eddie huffed but picked up his as well. 

“Are we really doing this?” Ben asked. 

“I guess so,” Mike murmured. 

They all opened the top of their boxes at once. Upon opening his Eddie quirked his eyebrow, there was nothing inside. He looked towards the others and saw horror lining their faces. Richie slammed the top back down on his box, standing up with such force Eddie flinched beside him. 

“What the fuck is this?” Bill said his voice on the verge of shouting. 

“This is fucked up.” Stan said. 

“Ok I say fuck all this shit, lets go find Henry give him a piece of our minds and then get the hell out of here.” Richie said. 

Eddie was confused. What was in everyone’s box that caused them to be so angry? And why did he have nothing in his own box? Before he could question further the others had stood up and were making their way out the room, Eddie tailed behind them. 

“Why don’t we split up to find him? This place is huge.” Bill suggested and the others nodded in agreement. 

Eddie decided to try upstairs and went towards the east end of the hall. As he was walking he noticed what appeared to be an office. The room was empty but Eddie could see a large glass door that led to a stone balcony. The weather outside was growing worse, the rain knocked against the door with such force he was afraid the glass would crack. The sight of lightning and sound of thunder echoed in the room. Distantly Eddie wondered how he would get home, he was hoping one of his friends might offer a ride as he didn’t have enough money to grab another taxi and he was afraid to walk in such cruel weather. 

The floor creaked underneath him as he walked to the room at the farthest end of the hall. It appeared to be a guest room. The bed was dressed in a floral comforter.The white cream colour was meant to complement the flowers but instead looked to be smothered by the repeating plants. The pattern reminded Eddie of the dress his mother was buried in, it was her favorite dress to wear during Sunday mass. Now both her and the dress were rotting six feet under the ground. 

As Eddie inched deeper into the room the lights cut out, an overwhelming darkness surrounded him, the small window barely carried enough light for Eddie to see three feet in front of him. He fumbled for his phone, careful of the cracked screen, and switched on its flashlight. Just then a horrible scream resonated throughout the house. 

Eddie only stood for a second before sprinting towards the screams origin. It sounded distinctly male and like it was coming from the study he had just passed a few moments ago. He prayed that none of his friends were hurt. 

He was the first to arrive at the study and upon glancing inside didn’t immediately see anything wrong. Eddie stood for a minute or so, contemplating what to do, when he saw a light down the hallway running towards him. Fear spread through his veins but he relaxed when he heard Richie’s huffs and groans. 

The light stopped a few feet in front of Eddie, “Uh who is that?” 

Eddie turned his light towards his face briefly, trying not to blind himself. “It's me Rich.” 

“Oh thank god.” Richie walked over and grasped Eddie’s arm “Was that you who screamed? Are you hurt?” 

Eddie shook his head but then remembered how fruitless that effort was when it was too dark to see. “I’m alright. I heard the scream come from here and ran as fast as I could but I didn’t see anyone.” 

There was the sound of several footsteps running towards them and they were soon joined by Bill, Mike, Bev, Stan, and Ben. 

“Everyone heard that scream right?” Mike asked. 

“Yeah I was in the Dining room when the lights cut out and suddenly someone was screaming.” Bill said. 

“Well who are we missing?” Stan flashed his light over the group. 

“Guys look.” The light shone on Ben who was pointing into the office. The glass door was open. 

A jolt of fear traveled down Eddie’s spine. The group traveled hesitantly into the room. The door started to slam itself against the wall as the wind picked up and the rain had traveled into the study soaking up the fancy carpet. When they reached the doorway they scanned the area but didn’t see anyone. 

“Should we go outside and check?” Mike asked. 

No one stepped forward. So Eddie pocketed his phone and walked out into the rain.There was just enough light outside that he didn’t need his flashlight to see. As soon as the first drops touched his head Richie grabbed his arm reluctant to let him go. But Eddie sent him a reassuring smile and continued his walk out onto the balcony. 

The rain pelted down Eddie’s small frame, it was so thick he was finding it hard to see. He looked around best he could but there was no one on the spacious balcony. Eddie was about to turn around when a thought occurred to him and he approached the railing. He gripped the polished wood and leaned over the side. His blood ran cold. Laying on the ground, was Henry. 

The blood that was steadily pooling under his head was being continuously washed away by the rain. He looked to have landed on the terrace below, the stony tiles sealing his fate. Eddie was shaking where he stood, he paid little attention to the way the rain had caused his clothes to stick to his skin and the deep chill it brought to his bones. The memory of finding his mother dead in her sitting chair floated across his mind, her face a bluish-purple, the same colour as the curtains in his apartment. He had run home after the paramedics had picked up the body and ripped the curtains from their place above his window and trashed them. 

“Eddie? You ok?” Richie called. Eddie was pulled out of his thoughts and shot back from the railing. 

He turned to the others, his mouth hung open in shock. Before any more questions could be asked Eddie rushed to their sides. 

“The scream must have been Henry. He-he-” Eddie stumbled over his words, he took in a deep breath before starting again. “He must have fallen off the side. His body is on the ground, there’s s-so much blood.” Eddie could feel his body tremble, he wasn’t sure if it was from the cold rain or from what he had just seen. 

Richie placed a hand on his shoulder. There was a part of Eddie that wanted to dive into Richie’s arms and soak up all his warmth. 

“Are you sure?” Bill asked. 

Richie glared at him, “Did you hear what Eddie said?” 

“I just wanted to make sure, calm down.” 

Richie looked like he was about to say something else when Beverly spoke up. “If you want to make sure why don’t we just check. I think the ballroom has a big window overlooking the terrace.”

The group made their way down the hall but Richie and Eddie hung back. Richie placed his hand on Eddie’s cheek wiping off the water that still lied there. 

“Wow didn’t know all Kaspbraks got wet so easily.” He smiled. 

Eddie scowled but couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. “Oh shut up.” 

Eddie wanted to savor this moment with him but Richie pulled his hand away too quickly and made his way towards the entrance of the office. Eddie stood for a moment longer when Richie turned around holding his hand out. 

“It's hard to see in the dark. Ya better hold my hand or you might trip over something.” Richie said. Eddie could hear just a hint of nervousness buried deep beneath the words. 

Eddie huffed a laugh, “Isn’t that like the blind leading the blind Mr.coke-bottle-glasses.” 

“Hey kids nowadays think glasses are cool. I’ll see some of them even wear fake ones just so they can copy my style.” 

“Mhm sure, because you have always been at the forefront of fashion.” Eddie’s voice was dripping with sarcasm but the statement managed to get a laugh out of Richie. Eddie reveled in the way Richie’s laugh warmed his insides. 

When they finally made it downstairs and into the ballroom the group was already crowded around one of the windows that stretched from the ceiling to the floor. Richie approached it cautiously, peeking over the head of Bill to see the body of Henry lying on the ground. 

“Holy shit.” Richie muttered under his breath. 

“Did he uh just fall?” Ben asked. 

“While he was taking a leisurely stroll onto his balcony during a storm? Highly doubt it.” Stan said. 

“We need to call an ambulance or police or something right?” Mike asked, turning away from the window. 

“Wait I want to go back to what Stan was saying.” Beverly turned to Stan, “Do you think someone pushed him off the balcony?” 

“I don’t see how he could have just fallen.” Stan looked towards Eddie, “was the wood slippery when you went out there?” 

“Slippery? Uh no it was fine, I didn’t have any trouble walking.” 

“See? And why would he even be out there when it's raining cats and dogs? I think he was pushed.” Stan said, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Well then that leaves the question of who pushed him.” Mike said. 

“This is all too weird. I think we should call the cops and let them decide what to do.” Bill looked at the others who nodded in agreement. 

“Here I’ll call,” Ben said, turning the flashlight on his phone off and dialing 911. He stepped off to the side to talk with the 911 operator while the others waited. 

“Didn’t think this is how I would be spending my night.” Richie said. Eddie appreciated him trying to lighten the mood although he wasn’t sure it worked that well. 

“Me either.” Eddie responded. 

“I say after Ben is done with the call we should try to find the circuit breaker and see if we can get the lights back on. If I keep using the flashlight on my phone the battery is going to die.” Mike suggested. 

“I think that's a good idea. Especially since I forgot to charge my phone before I left.” Bill looked at his own phone to see it was at a measly 20%. 

There was a groan heard across the room, then Ben rejoined the group. “The person on the phone said that they can’t send anyone to the house until the storm dies down which might not be until tomorrow. Apparently the bridge to this place is flooded.” 

The group stood in silence before Richie shouted, “So we’re just supposed to stay here in a house with a dude that was given a one-way ticket to the afterlife and a possible murderer?”

Ben shrugged, “Well when you put it like that.”

Richie groaned. “If we’re going to be stuck here I’m not doing it sober.” He started walking across the room. 

“Wait Richie, what about the plan to turn the lights back on?” Eddie asked. 

“You can go do that, I’m going to go raid the liquor cabinet.” Richie shouted as he kept walking. 

“I don’t think it's a good idea to split up.” Eddie turned to the group. 

“Come on, we’ll go make sure he doesn’t fall into the fridge or like blow the oven up.” Stan said before heading out of the room with Eddie. 

While the others went down to the basement to hopefully find a way to turn the lights back on Richie, Stan, and Eddie were raiding the kitchen. The room was darker than the others as there were no windows to give what little light the sky had still to offer. That didn’t really matter now though as the sun had finally slipped down the horizon and the moon’s waning crescent gave sparse illumination. Stan held up the flashlight on his phone at the wine cabinet that Richie was hunched over. 

“Dang all they got is the fancy stuff. Where is the vodka that tastes like marshmallows?” Richie huffed. 

“We shouldn’t even be raiding a dead man’s booze.” Stan said. 

“With all the garbage he put us through in our childhood, not to mention just this night, I feel like we deserve a little somethin’” Richie pulled a wine bottle out inspecting its label before grimacing and putting it back. 

“I agree with Stan, I don’t think this is the most respectful thing to do.” 

Richie dismissed them both with a wave of his hand, “Oh live a little.” He paused, noticing the irony of his statement he began to chuckle. Stan sighed and rolled his eyes. Just then the house groaned and there was the sound of several electronic devices starting. The lights flickered back on and Eddie turned to his friends a smile on his face. “Wow B team is quick.” Richie stood up, “Since the lights are on that means I can go into the walk-in cooler and see if they have the good stuff.” Richie only took a few steps before stopping. His face turned pale. 

“Rich you ok?” Eddie started walking towards him but Richie outstretched his arm signaling for Eddie to stay back. 

“Eddie don’t come over here.” 

“What, why not?” Eddie, not one to take orders blindly, continued walking towards Richie.

“Eddie no!” Richie turned to push Eddie back but it was too late. His locked eyes with the corpse lying on the ground. A large knife sticking out of its chest. Blood was trickling out of its body still and upon seeing it Eddie stumbled into Richie’s arms. Richie wrapped his arms around Eddie’s trembling frame, who had buried his head into Richie’s chest. 

Stan walked up to the body next, “Oh fuck.” 

"Do you think the cops will come twice as fast if we say there is another dead body?" Richie asked. He was sitting on the kitchen counter with his arms wrapped around Eddie's shoulders who was standing between his legs. 

"This is no time to joke Richie, there are two people dead." Bill said. 

"Sorry man, just trying to add some levity to this shit." 

“How did this happen?” Mike asked. 

“It wasn’t any of us,” Stan gestured to himself, Eddie, and Richie. “We were with each other the whole time.” 

“Wait guys.” Beverly crouched down closer to the body, “This is Greta Keene.” 

The others rapidly turned to look at the body on the floor. Eddie didn’t know how he could have not noticed that it was Greta. The features were so distinctively hers, from the nose to her curly hair that was tied into a bun. The clothes she was in hinted to what she was doing here, a white double-breasted jacket and apron still clung to her body. Eddie could only take looking at her corpse for so long before turning away again. 

“Why the hell is Greta here?” Bill asked. 

“It looks like she was the one who made dinner. But why would Henry hire an old childhood flame as his chef?” Mike looked perplexed. 

“I think the more important question is why is she dead and who killed her.” Beverly said. 

Then a thought popped into Eddie’s head, “Wait has anyone seen Reginald?” 

“The butler? I didn’t see him when we were searching the house or when we went to turn the power back on.” Ben said. 

They all exchanged nervous glances. “Please don’t tell me the butler did it. That's like the most cliched thing ever.” Richie bemoaned. 

“If we want to know we have to find him.” Bill said. “We should split up again but this time let's go in pairs and possibly arm ourselves. We don’t know how dangerous this guy is.” 

The others nodded, they collected a few miscellaneous items to defend themselves with and broke off into pairs. Eddie ended up with Bill. He was carrying a knife while Bill gripped onto a heavy candlestick. They were assigned to check the basement and as Eddie made his way down the creaky wooden stairs a pit settled into his stomach. Nothing about this night had gone how he thought it would. 

“You doing ok Eddie?” Bill asked. 

“Yeah I’m fine Billy, just a little shaken up I guess. It's not everyday you find two bodies and are stuck in a mansion with a murderer.” 

Bill let out a dry chuckle, “Yeah not how I thought this night would go.” There was a pause in the conversation as they finally reached the bottom of the stairs. For such a nice house the basement looked quite dilapidated. The floor was concrete and the ceiling showed wooden beams. Bill looked behind his shoulder at Eddie for a brief moment, “I am glad to see you though Eddie. I always regretted not keeping in contact with any of the Losers, but especially you. This sounds cheesy but I really do think about everyone all the time. Like how your lives are going and if you ever think about me too.” 

Eddie walked beside Bill and put his hand on Bill’s arm. “I think about you all the time Bill, you and the rest of the Losers too. I missed you all so much these past years.” Eddie gave Bill’s arm a squeeze before smiling up at him, “I hope this meeting means we can see each other a lot more after this.” 

Bill smiled back, “I would love that Eddie.” They continued to traverse through the basement, “I think Richie would love that too, you guys were so close back in the day, I think he misses that.” 

Eddie turned so as not to show his blush. The thought of Richie thinking about him these past years and wanting to reconnect with him had Eddie imagining a better future. One with Richie and all the Losers. 

After a scan of the basement had turned up empty they decided to wait for the others in the ballroom. Eddie headed up the stairs in front of Bill, their joint steps producing a symphony of creaks. Eddie made it almost all the way to the basement door when he realized the sound behind him had stopped. He turned around expecting to see Bill standing on the stairs but instead was met with nothing. 

“Bill?” there was no response, “Bill?!” still no response. 

Eddie sprinted up the rest of the steps and ran to the ballroom. The others were already there gathered in a huddle and talking amongst themselves. They looked up in shock when Eddie came running in. 

“I don’t- I don’t know what happened. One minute he was there and then another he wasn’t. I-I-” 

“Woah calm down Eds” Richie walked over to Eddie and held his face in his hands, “Just breath and then tell us what happened.” 

Eddie took a deep breath in and then out. “Me and Bill were checking out the basement and didn’t find anything so we decided to head upstairs but just as we were about to leave the basement I turned around and Bill was gone!” As Eddie continued talking his speech sounded more frantic. 

“Bill disappeared?” Mike asked, which Eddie nodded in response. “And you didn’t check to see if he was still in the basement before running to us?!” 

Eddie flinched when Mike’s voice raised in volume, Richie stepped in between them. “Woah calm down Mikey, arguing isn’t going to help. Lets just head to the basement and check ourselves. Bill probably got distracted and ran off to mess around with something.” 

Mike let out a huff before his facial features softened, “Sorry Eddie. Richie’s right, let's go check.” 

The group made their way to the basement. They called out Bill’s name and checked every square inch of the floor but found nothing. They all headed back to the ballroom dejected. 

“This had to be that damn Butlers fault. We need to find him now before anyone else goes missing.” Mike said. 

The others nodded in agreement. “We haven’t checked the outside of the house yet. He might be hiding in one of the cars or a shed maybe?” Ben suggested. 

“Yeah maybe if we look around outside we can find him, or at least some clues as to where Bill is.” Stan said. 

“Wait if we’re going outside I have to do something about this dress.” Beverly looked towards the others. “Does anyone have a swiss army knife?” Ben reached into his pocket and pulled out a utility tool. He quickly popped the knife portion out and handed it to Beverly. “Thank you Benjamin.” Beverly said with a smile. She reached down and grabbed a handful of her dress before plunging the knife into the fabric and tearing it off. The dress now ended just below her knees, “Ah that's better! Dresses like these are gorgeous but not really made to hunt for murderers.” 

“That looked expensive, is it ok to cut up?” Eddie asked.

“Oh don’t worry it's from my own collection. Heck if I wore it out like this people would probably be dying to get one just like it.” She smiled at Eddie who returned it. He had forgotten how bold Bev was, he had always felt like when she was around some of that courageousness rubbed off on him. 

“Alright let's head out.” Stan said. 

Richie glanced over at Eddie before putting a hand on his shoulder. “Would you guys mind making this sixsome a foursome? I think Eddie should take a little break and I don’t want to leave him alone.” 

It looked like Mike was going to protest but then he looked at Eddie and nodded. Soon it was just Richie and Eddie in the room. In the far corner beside a table was a couch. Richie led Eddie over to it and sat down with him. 

“Sorry, didn’t want to overstep my boundary but you looked kind of...exhausted.” Richie looked at Eddie. 

“Yeah it's not very fun to find two bodies and then have a friend go missing all in one day. Plus I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, I had to stay at work late.” 

“Oh burning the candle at both ends dear Spaghetti?” Richie grinned. 

“Well it's the only way I can avoid being evicted. I work at a restaurant not too far from my place and then a clothing store in the mall.” Eddie was beginning to feel how tired his body had been this whole time and leaned against Richie, not really caring for once about the possible consequences. 

“Really, You have to work two jobs? What degree did you get in college? Philosophy?” Richie didn’t seem to mind how Eddie was leaning against him. In fact Eddie could feel him relax further into the couch. 

Eddie chuckled, “No, I have a bachelors in statistics.” 

“Oof that’s almost as bad.” 

Eddie hit Richie’s stomach playfully, “Oh shut up. I had a nice job at a small insurance company before, but then it was bought up by some conglomerate and liquidated for its assets. After that I had a hard time finding a job.” 

Richie looked down at Eddie, his face full of sympathy. “I’m sorry Eds, that sounds rough.” 

Eddie shrugged, “Eh it's not too bad. I’m living on my own so it's hard to make enough for rent and other expenses but I wouldn’t want to force anyone else to live in my cramped apartment.” 

“Oh so you’re living the bachelor lifestyle? I thought girls would be throwing themselves at you. I mean a guy who likes to clean and is attractive? That’s a catch.” 

A blush spread across Eddie’s cheeks, “Well I was engaged at one point. But she ended up calling it off, said she had found someone else.” 

“Oh gosh I’m sorry Eddie. She is the stupidest person on earth to give up someone as great as you.” Richie began to run his fingers through Eddie’s hair. 

“It's no big deal. In hindsight it was for the best, she wasn’t that good of a person.” Eddie curled further into Richie’s side. 

“Well then Fuck her. You deserve someone who will treat you right Eddie.” Richie smiled down at Eddie who returned it in full. 

“Thanks Rich, you deserve someone like that too.” 

They sat in silence for some time. Eddie had taken to gazing out the huge windows and watching as the rain waned in intensity. The mansion was quiet and if Eddie could forget the horrors he had seen that day he would have found it cozy. 

“I hope we find Bill soon. I don’t want to leave here without everyone.” Eddie said softly. 

“Oh don’t worry we’ll definitely find him. And after this whole mess is done and we are off this shitty island we’ll go eat at a shitty diner together. I’ll buy you some pancakes a la mode. That means ‘with a shit ton of ice cream’.” 

Eddie shoved at Richie again, “It does not!” 

“My last name is Tozier, Eddie! French is in my blood.” Richie said with a smug look on his face. 

“You liar, you took Latin in high school.” Eddie couldn’t help the smile on his face. 

“Me a liar? Why I never!” Richie playfully huffed to which Eddie laughed at. Eddie felt so at ease with Richie around. He missed this feeling, he hadn’t felt so loved in such a long time. “I hate to say this Eddie ‘cus you look super comfy but I need to piss.” 

Eddie groaned, “Alright.” He moved to let Richie stand from the couch. Eddie was about to follow him when Richie put his hand out. 

“Don’t worry Spaghetti, the bathroom is right next door, you can keep resting.” Richie said. 

Eddie shifted in his seat, “Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you all alone.” 

“Don’t worry; I’ll be back in a flash. And if anything happens just shout and I’ll come rushing over.” Richie flashed his toothy grin and darted out the room. 

Eddie was left alone. The rain, while calmer, still batted against the windows. He hoped the others were ok outside. He looked across the ballroom; the floor was polished wood, it shone the lights embedded in the ceiling, like the reflection of stars in a pond. Eddie had the urge to get up and dance across the floor. Who knows when this room was last used for its intended purpose. Eddie’s mother had always disapproved of Eddie’s interest in dancing. It wasn’t like he wanted to be a professional but he loved the feeling of letting go and finding freedom in having your body move anyway it wanted to. 

The time dragged on and Eddie began to wonder if Richie was ok. He got up from the couch and was about to go look for Richie when he noticed a door nestled into the wall just behind the couch. It had blended in so well with the surrounding walls that it was no wonder why none of them had noticed. The only hint that it was a door was in the form of the hinges just barely peeking out from the wall and a small indent for the handle. Eddie hesitated for a moment, his hand stuck halfway between the door handle and his side, the other hand tightly gripping his knife. He took a deep breath and opened the door in such a way that he was hidden behind the wooden entrance. Eddie heard a thud and peeked his head past the door. 

On the ground was the body of Reginald. A rope was secured around his neck. It dug into his flesh and reminded Eddie of when he would dig his nails into his thighs and watch the fat dip under the pressure. Reginald's gelled back hair was now sticking up every which-way and his face was one of petrified horror. Eddie was frozen where he stood when his brain made the final connection it needed to. 

Suddenly Stan and Ben busted through the door supporting Mike on both sides while Beverly trailed behind them. Mike hobbled over to the couch and collapsed on it with a cry of pain. 

“Fucking Christ,” Stan mumbled under his breath while examining Mike. 

“What the fuck happened?” Beverly shouted. 

“Mike got stabbed.” Ben said. He took off his jacket and pushed it down on Mike's lower abdomen which was bleeding. “It doesn’t look like it's too deep, which is good but we need to stop the bleeding best we can.” 

Everyone was frantically crowding around Mike not noticing Eddie standing off to the side next to the third dead body of the night. Richie suddenly emerged from the doorway and paused upon seeing the commotion. He first looked to Mike then Eddie. 

“Jesus.” Richie ran over to Eddie, holding both his shoulders in his big hands, “You ok Eds? Did he attack you?” Eddie’s mind was so jumbled he just shook his head in response. 

“No you’re not ok or no he didn’t attack you?” Richie asked. 

“Richie, why are you fussing over Eddie when Mike is bleeding on the co-” Stan stopped talking when he turned and saw the body on the floor. The others noticed him go quiet and looked over as well. 

The room was silent as they all tried to process what was going on. Then Eddie spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, “It’s Belch.” 

“What?” Richie asked before looking at the corpse in front of him. “Oh my god it is Belch. I didn’t recognize him. He lost a lot of weight.” 

“So now we have three people dead and all of them are from our childhood.” Beverly said. 

“Wait, so if Belch has been here the whole time then who murdered Henry? And who stabbed Mike?” Stan questioned.

“You didn’t see who stabbed you?” Richie looked towards the man currently bleeding on the couch. 

“No, I was making my way around the corner of the house and someone came out from the dark and stabbed me. I didn’t have time to look at his face before he ran off and I was kind of preoccupied by the fact that I was carved like a thanksgiving turkey.” Mike huffed. 

Richie held up his hands, “Ok, ok, no need to get crabby, we’ve all been stabbed at one time or another. Here I saw a first aid kit in the bathroom. I'll go grab it.” Richie left the room and returned a minute later with the first aid kit. 

Eddie had taken to examining Mike’s laceration and started to dress the wound when Richie arrived with the supplies. A small part of him wanted to laugh and mention the feeling of deja vu at having to work on yet another one of his friends' abdomens after being attacked but he kept it to himself. Although Eddie did wonder if Ben still had that scar on his stomach from when Henry tried to carve him up. Eddie still had his scars from around that time and a few new ones as well. 

“So, what do we do now?” Beverly asked. 

Mike hissed in pain as Eddie finished securing the gauze around his midsection, “What can we do? We have three dead bodies, one missing friend, and no leads on who could have done this.” 

“Should we just hold up in this room and wait until the police arrive?” Ben suggested.

“And possibly leave Bill bleeding out somewhere? I don’t think so.” Mike said. 

“Yeah I don’t think we want your bleeding ass running around the house.” Richie retorted. 

As the group began to argue about what to do Stan wandered over to the windows. The lights from inside just barely illuminated enough to see a few feet beyond the house. His eyes widened and he stepped back from the window slowly. 

“Henry is gone.” 

The rest of the Losers snapped their heads to where Stan was standing. There was a beat of silence before everyone (sans Mike) ran to the window. Where Henry’s body previously sat was nothing. Just the terrace tiles illuminated by the light emanating from the house. 

“What the hell is going on?” Beverly said, fear heavy in her voice. 

“But we all saw him dead, right? There was blood flowing from his head!” Eddie asked frantically. 

“Fucker must have faked it somehow. That son of a bitch.” Richie spat out. 

“That means he definitely killed Greta and Belch right? And took Bill?” Ben looked at the group. 

“He must have, I don’t think any of us are capable of this.” Eddie said. 

A thud was heard above them. They all looked upwards at the ceiling and then at one another. Beverly got a determined look on her face. She grabbed the lead pipe she had found in the basement. 

“Ben, why don’t you stay here with Mike. Me, Stan, Richie, and Eddie will head upstairs and catch this fucker.” Beverly said. 

Ben nodded, going over to Mike with his own weapon in his hand. The others left the room heading up the stairs to face whatever might be there. They decided to split up into pairs of two, Richie and Stan heading to the west end of the hall while Beverly and Eddie searched the East end. 

Eddie was nervous as he walked behind Beverly. He had to constantly switch his knife between his hands due to his sweaty palms. They checked the guest room Eddie had been in earlier and several other small rooms. Then they walked into a music room of some sort. In the center of the floor was a piano, it looked so pristine that Eddie was afraid to touch it. A couch and several chairs accompanied the piano, as well as a cello sitting in the corner. 

“Gosh, rich people am I right.” Beverly said. 

“Wouldn’t that include you too Bev?” Eddie smiled over at her. 

“I’m different, I’m way cooler.” 

Eddie chuckled, “Can’t argue with that.” They continued to search the room a bit before Eddie spoke again. “You know I always admired you Beverly, you always seemed so strong, even when facing the worst the world could throw at you.” 

Beverly turned to Eddie, a somber smile on her face. “I admired you too Eddie. You have been through a lot, and you never deserved it. But despite that you still manage to be kind.” 

Eddie could feel tears prickle at the corner of his eyes. Somewhere deep in his core he knew that all the sorrows in his life were not deserved but to hear someone else say it was entirely different. “Thanks Bevvie, I can easily say the same about you.” 

Beverly patted Eddie on the shoulder before heading to the corner of the room. Eddie continued to run his hand along the far right wall. A bookshelf was resting along the wall. As Eddie ran his fingers over the spines he paused when a book felt a little different from the others. Instead of a soft covering it felt hard, almost metal in a way. He tried to pull the book out of the shelf but instead it only went out halfway before a clunking noise was heard. The bookshelf seemed to pop out of the wall slightly, Eddie stood looking perplexed before tugging the side of the shelf. The wall opened up, revealing a tunnel enveloped in darkness. 

“Holy shit is that a secret passageway?” Beverly stared in amazement beside Eddie. 

“Rich people am I right?” Eddie said. “Here I’ll head in, you stay out here, just in case.” He grabbed his phone and turned the flash light on once again. 

“You sure? I can go with you.” Beverly looked anxious where she stood. 

“Don’t worry I’ll be ok. Plus it's best to have you out here making sure no one closes this on me.” Eddie gestured to the bookshelf and gave Beverly his best reassuring smile. 

Eddie made his way into the tunnel, which seemed to stretch on forever. As he made his way through the passage Eddie could hear the sound of voices getting louder and louder until he was met with a dead end. When he moved his phone around to see if there was anything indicating a doorway he noticed a sliver of light peeking out of the wall. Eddie moved his hand against it to find a latch that opened a small hole which he could look into. The sight through the peephole showed a different room in the mansion. It appeared to be another reading room and in the middle of the floor was Stan and Richie. 

“I swear if I see Henry I’m going to bash his face in so much it’ll turn him back to his usual ugly.” Richie said. “I know his face got all mangled but doesn’t it look off?” 

“Richie he was maimed of course it's going to look off.” Stan replied.

“Still it's weird.” Richie threw a book he was examining onto the floor. “That fucker better stay away from Eddie too.” Eddie’s eyes widened at the mention of his name. 

“Why do you say that? It’s not like he was any more cruel with Eddie than the rest of us.” Stan picked up the book Richie had tossed to the ground and placed it on a nearby coffee table. 

“Didn’t you ever notice how Henry would look at Eddie? It was always with hungry eyes, like he was a beast and Eddie was the perfect piece of meat.” Richie’s scowled, “He still has those same eyes.” 

Stan looked over at Richie with concern before approaching him and placing his hand on Richie’s shoulder. “Don’t worry Rich nothing will happen to him. We’ll find Henry and Bill and then get the hell out of here.” 

Richie smiled at Stan before heading towards the door, “Alright let's search the last two rooms then head back to the ballroom.” 

Eddie stood in his spot behind the wall, not sure what to do. He never considered himself very smart, especially among the Losers, but he didn’t think he was so oblivious as to not notice Henry’s threatening gaze. It was a few minutes that Eddie stood there before he heard the faint calls of Beverly. 

Eddie headed back to Bev, “This tunnel leads to a peephole that overlooks one of the other rooms.” 

“Really? Jesus, I thought secret passageways were just a thing made up by movies to try and sell to gullible rich people.” Beverly stepped into the tunnel, “Stand by the entrance while I explore too?” 

“Of course,” Eddie said as he shifted over to the doorway. 

Beverly only made it a few steps before the floor beneath her opened and she fell. She screamed as she held onto the side of the pit with just her fingers. 

“Bev!” Eddie shouted. He ran to her immediately and grasped onto one of her hands trying to pull her up. But he was too weak, his hands too sweaty, and Beverly began to slip through his fingers. “Bev please don’t let go.” 

“Eddie I can’t hold on for much longer.” Beverly's voice sounded panicked. Her other hand began to slip even as Eddie tried his best to pull her up. 

It happened so fast, first Beverly’s hand holding onto the side of the pit fell and then Eddie, holding all of Beverly’s weight, lost his grip. With a blood curdling scream, Beverly plunged into the chasm. Eddie was left holding onto Beverly’s bracelet that had slipped off during her plunge.

Eddie shot up, adrenaline and panic running through his veins. As he stood the hole that had opened up so spontaneously closed just as fast. A trapdoor, Eddie thought to himself. He rushed out of the room in an instant shouting at the top of his lungs. “Guys! Guys come quick! Please!” 

Eddie could hear several feet rushing up the stairs but when he turned to look into the tunnel once again he saw it was closed. Ben, Richie, and Stan all appeared in the doorway. 

“What's wrong?” Richie said while trying to catch his breath. 

Eddie stood with his mouth gaping, not sure how to articulate all that happened. While he stood there Ben looked to the object in Eddie’s hand. “Eddie, is that Beverly’s bracelet? What happened to her? Where is she?” 

Eddie, still traumatized from not being able to save his friend, responded with a quiet, “I don’t know.” 

“What do you mean you don’t know? You have her bracelet don’t you?” Ben began to shout. 

“We were just in the room and then a tunnel appeared and she went to look in it and a trapdoor opened up and I really tried to pull her up, I really did but I couldn’t and she fell. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Eddie was shaking. 

“What the hell are you talking about? I don’t see any tunnel.” Ben continued to shout. 

“Ben calm down.” Richie said, his voice stern. “Eddie is obviously freaked out right now and doesn’t need to be interrogated.” 

Ben looked over at Richie, anger still present on his features, when a scream was heard from the ballroom. Stan gasped, “Mike!” 

All four of them ran to the ballroom as fast as they could but by the time they arrived Mike was already gone. The only hint of him being there was the blood stain still on the couch. It was silent as they all walked further into the room. 

Ben spun around and gripped Eddie’s shoulders, “Did you do this Eddie? Did you take Bill, Bev, and Mike?” 

Eddie stood there stunned, “I would never do something like this. How could you even think that?” 

“You were with both Bill and Bev when they disappeared. And we still don’t know where Henry is. Are you working with him?” Ben’s voice grew louder. 

Richie pushed Ben off of Eddie, “Chill out Haystack, Eddie didn’t do this.” 

“How do you know that though? You’re always defending him but who's to say he isn’t working with Henry?” 

“What would he have to gain from working with Henry?” Richie spat back. 

Ben looked at Eddie, “What did your letter say? Mine told me that if I came here I could reconnect with an old flame. So what did your letter say?” 

Eddie paused, all eyes were on him, he cast his gaze onto the ground. “It said that if I came I would get some money. But that doesn’t mean I would hurt anyone!” 

“Eddie, why was your box empty?” Stan asked. “When we originally went looking for Henry I couldn’t find him and decided to head back into the library. But I accidentally kicked your box over while walking and there was nothing inside.” 

Eddie didn’t have a response because he had no idea why his box was empty or what the others found in their own. He turned to Richie, “Rich please believe me I would never hurt anyone, not even for all the money in the world.” 

Richie looked into Eddie's eyes. “I left you alone in this room for a while when the others were exploring outside. What did you do while I was gone Eddie?” 

Eddie stepped back from Richie, “No not you too.” 

“Answer the question Eddie.” Stan demanded. 

“I didn’t do anything!” Tears poured down Eddie’s face, he was finding it hard to breath. 

The others started to approach him slowly as Eddie continued to back away. But before anything could happen the lights went out. Startled cries rang throughout the group that were soon followed by the sounds of struggling and bodies hitting the floor. Eddie was about to call out to his friends when he felt himself being struck in the back of the head and then everything went black. 

The first sensation Eddie felt upon waking up was the feeling of his wrists being restrained. He blinked his eyes a few times and when they were finally able to focus he was met with the sight of his arms duct taped to a chair. He snapped his head up to see that he was sitting at the head of the dining room table. The rest of the Losers sat along the table, both their hands and mouths covered in duct tape. While Eddie was relieved to see Bill, Bev, and Mike alive he was more concerned about what they were all doing there. 

Bev, Mike, and Stan were awake, their eyes filled with panic and arms already struggling against their restraints. Bill still seemed fully passed out and Richie and Ben were like Eddie, stirring in their seat and trying to process what was going on. 

Unlike his friends Eddie’s mouth was free of duct tape. “Wha-what's going on?” 

Richie sat on the right of Eddie in the chair closest to him. He looked over at Richie and saw his eyes behind his glasses were filled with horror. Just then a hand was placed on Eddie’s shoulder causing him to flinch. 

“Good to see everyone conscious!” Henry’s voice called behind Eddie. Bill was finally waking up in his seat and looked just as puzzled as everyone else. “This really has been a wild night hasn’t it? But man has it been fun.” Henry walked leisurely around the table. 

“What the hell are you doing Henry? Let us out of here.” Eddie scowled. 

“Please call me by my real name: Connor. Connor Bowers.” Henry, no Connor smiled. Beside him Eddie saw Richie’s eyes widen. “Henry died years ago. Murdered by one of you.” 

The group looked at one another, shock plastered on their faces. “He-Connor, that’s ridiculous. None of us would kill Henry, even with all that he had done to us.” 

“Oh sweet, naïve Eddie.” Connor made his way back to Eddie, gently running his hand down his freckled cheeks. Eddie tried to back away from the touch, he could see Richie struggling against his restraints with such force Eddie was afraid he would get hurt. “You think your friends are these perfect people who live wonderful lives and are the epitome of saints. But you’re wrong, they are horrendous creatures who only think of themselves.” Connor turned to the small table pushed against the wall where their boxes laid. “Do you want to find out their dirty secrets Eddie?” 

Eddie turned to look at everyone, most of them were trying to speak past the gag around their mouths. But Richie sat with his eyes cast downward, not even bothering to look towards Eddie.

“Connor please.” 

But Eddie’s words fell upon deaf ears. Connor opened the first box pulling out a needle. “Oh who does this belong to? Could it be the former fatty turned handsome hunk?” Connor threw the needle onto the table in front of Ben, “How could he lose so much weight and get so buff in such a short time? Why with the help of drugs of course. Not only did he cheat his way to fitness but he tells his story of personal growth to thousands, claiming himself to be a role model.” Ben avoided eye contact with the others, instead choosing to look down at the needle in front of him. Tears rolled down his cheeks. 

Connor grabbed the next box, tossing a dime bag in front of Mike. “Poor Mike wanted more funds to improve his precious library. But of course he borrowed money from the wrong kind of people, and how do you pay people back with no money? By smuggling drugs across the border of course. With all the improvements to the library he was named the head of the public library board of trustees but that can’t hide the shame he feels.” Mike looked towards Eddie, his eyes pleading, before dropping his gaze. 

“Connor stop!” Eddie shouted, not wanting to hear anymore. 

Damaged car keys were thrown in front of Stan, “Oh this one is a doozy.” Stan shook his head rapidly. “Stan just can’t help but overwork himself to the point of exhaustion. No big deal, except for one night when he just can’t keep his eyes open while driving. That poor man that was walking along the side of the road didn’t even know what hit him. A normal person would have gotten out of the car and called an ambulance but dear old Stan just drove away. The man survived, but let's just say he won’t be taking any long walks on the beach anytime soon.” Eddie turned to Stan hoping to see him deny the accusation. But he just stares down at the keys in front of him, a haunted look on his face. 

“Beverly’s story is similar. Her husband was a grade A sleazeball, the key word there being was. One day after a fight got physical her husband fell, hitting his head on the corner of their coffee table. He was paralyzed and bleeding out horribly. But Beverly just stood there. She stood there and watched him until the life drained from his face and only then did she finally call 911.” Connor drops an old cell phone in front of Bev. Her eyes flash with recognition and then grief. 

Eddie can already feel a familiar pressure behind his eyes, he tries to blink away any unwanted tears. “Why are you telling me this?” 

“Because you deserve to know Eddie.” Connor opened Bill’s box and threw a book in front of him. “Big Bill, the boy who you looked up to so much, plagiarized his first book. All he did was change the name and add a shitty ending.” Eddie looked over at Bill, his face devastated, but Bill didn’t look back. 

Connor sauntered over to the last box, “I did save the best for last though.” Connor took out several pictures and threw them down, not in front of Richie, but Eddie. The pictures looked like they were all taken from far away and showed Richie walking into various motels. In each photo a different young man was wrapped around Richie’s arm. “Straight stand up comedian Richie Tozier had been buying male prostitutes for the better part of the last decade. Notice anything about the prostitutes Eddie? All of them short, petite men with brown hair and big eyes.” Eddie looked over at Richie, whose eyes were filled with remorse. 

“Rich…” Eddie whispered. 

“How do you think Richie could notice the hungry look in Henry’s eyes? Because he too had the same look.” Connor stood between Richie and Eddie, looking over the group with menacing eyes. “Henry wasn’t just my cousin, he was my best friend. He understood me like no one else and you all treated him like trash. I was there the day Henry died. He didn’t just go missing, he was pushed off a cliff and left for dead.” Connor turned, “Isn’t that right, Richie?” 

Everyone turned to Richie, their eyes wide. Eddie looked to Richie, searching his eyes for some kind of answer. How could Richie keep this a secret from Eddie? How could all of his friends lie, and cheat, and hurt others and still be a success while Eddie had to portion out how much cup o’ noodles he could eat in a week. 

Connor continued his ramblings, “I came into some money early on in my life and since then vowed to punish those who hurt Henry. I’ve been following you all for awhile now. Who do you think made sure these secrets leaked to the public?” 

Eddie looked on at Connor in confusion, “But why?” 

“Why? Because I wanted everyone to feel what happiness was, before I stole it from them.” Connor walked over to the table once again, this time grabbing a knife that was lying there. He twirled it in his hand as he circled the table. “It was easy getting everyone here, I just had to write dinner invitations with a promise of what you all desire. Tricking you into thinking I was dead was easy as well, I had Belch help me of course. He thought this was all some elaborate prank.” Connor scowled, “That oaf betrayed Henry when he fled the scene of a crime leaving Henry standing there red handed. So after he was done being useful I killed him. Same goes to Greta, that bitch broke Henry’s heart and then spread awful rumors about him. Really they both had it coming.” 

“So this was your plan all along?” Eddie asked. 

“Exactly! After years of waiting it's finally all coming together and I’m so excited!” Connor bounced on the balls of his feet before plunging the knife into the table, causing everyone to flinch. “Now since I’m so nice I’ll give everyone one minute to argue your case on why you should live.” As Connor spoke he walked around the table systematically taking off the duct tape from everyone’s mouth. “And go!” 

The room burst into hurried speeches, everyone talking at once to try and beg for their life. Eddie sat silent, looking at the dark wood of the table. 

“Eddie” Richie’s voice rang through Eddie’s ears despite the chaos around him. He turned to face Richie who held such a devastated face. “I’m sorry, I’m really so sorry. This is all my fault.” Tears streamed down Richie’s face. “I did push Henry over the cliff but I didn’t mean to hurt him. He approached me while I was looking over the quarry, started doing his usual taunts and even punched me in the gut for good measure. But then he said horrible things about you, things that he was going to do to you. And this-this awful rage took over me and I pushed him. He stumbled back and fell off the cliff but managed to hang on to the rocks below. I went over and tried to help him up, I really did. I held my hand out for him to grab but he just…” Richie swallowed harshly, “He sneered at me and said ‘don’t touch me faggot’ then just let go.”

Eddie stared at Richie, searching his eyes for something. 

“I’m sorry Eddie, I should have never left that town without you.” 

Eddie was crying now, fat tears rolling down his freckled cheeks. He wanted to turn back time. Go back to when they were kids and still had their future so far ahead of them. When Eddie could get upset and know that he had six people to support him. 

Connor clapped his hands together, “Alright time's up!” He went over to Eddie cupping his cheek in a gentle manner. “Eddie, I want to offer you something special. You aren’t like the others, you are so pure. Henry could see that in you and now I do too. If you join me we can get rid of these scum and move far away from here. You won’t ever have to worry about making rent or what to eat. I’ll take care of you.” Connor placed a kiss on Eddie’s forehead “I love you Eddie.” 

Eddie looked around the table at all of the friends who had left him behind. Everyone was silent as they held their breath in anticipation. He looked to Richie. His face sad but accepting, like if Eddie really was going to kill him he wouldn’t even fight back. 

Eddie turned to Connor, “Okay, I’ll join you.” 

There were a few cries that rang throughout the group, most shocked at Eddie’s decision. Richie was silent, his head hung low, almost as if he hadn’t heard Eddie at all. 

“Oh excellent!” Connor cheered. He undid the restraints holding Eddie’s hands down. Then he embraced Eddie, pulling him in close. “You made the right choice. Would you like to do the honors?” Connor offered the knife to Eddie who happily took it. Eddie walked over to Beverly, knife still in hand, and Connor looming behind him. He looked to see Bev’s sad but brave face and felt a warm palm on his shoulder. 

Eddie spun around, plunging the knife into what he thought was Connor’s heart. He was off by a few inches and ended up higher, just below the collar bone. Connor cried out in pain dropping to the floor. Eddie rushed to Beverly’s side and began to remove the tape around her hands. He managed to get one hand free and started working on the other when he was pulled back by his hair and tossed onto the ground. 

Eddie yelped as Connor pulled him up by the hair again and held him off the ground. “What the fuck is your problem. Why would you defend these assholes?” 

Eddie scowled at Connor, “Because I love them.” Then he spit in his face, landing just below his eye. “Fuck face.” 

Connor screamed, slamming Eddie against the wall before dropping him to the floor. Eddie groaned and wobbled onto his feet when suddenly Connor swung the knife at him. He moved as fast as he could but couldn’t avoid the knife carving a sharp line on the side of his cheek. Eddie held onto the bleeding side of his face. 

“I’m so glad I ruined your life.” Connor sneered. 

Eddie looked confused, “What do you mean?” 

Connor stalked closer to Eddie. “I was the one who bought the company you worked for and closed it down. I introduced your fiancé to a new man. And I made it so none of your friends could ever contact you.” Connor shouted. 

Devastation was clear on Eddie’s face but then a small smile tugged on the edge of his lips. “At least I never fucked my cousin.” 

Connor screeched. He swung the knife wildly at Eddie who narrowly avoided it until he was backed into a corner. Connor went to drive the knife into Eddie’s heart but was stopped when Eddie grabbed the handle. He pushed back as hard as he could but the knife still inched closer and closer. Eddie could feel the tip of the blade puncturing his skin, he closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable. Then the pressure was gone, Eddie opened his eyes to see Connor on the ground, Richie and Ben holding him down. 

Beverly ran to his side, “Eddie oh my God! Are you alright?” She turned his face to examine the cut along his cheek.

Bill clasped his hand on Eddie’s shoulder, “Never doubted you for a minute buddy.” 

“Uh huh is that why you looked like you were about to pass out two seconds ago?” Stan said, a gentle smile on his face. 

Bill opened his mouth to reply but Connor shouted, “I’m going to kill you all! Mark my words you’ll be dead soon!” He started laughing hysterically.

Richie punched Connor in the face knocking him out, “Sorry, he was just so annoying.” 

Mike stood, leaning against Bill, “No complaints here.” 

As dawn approached the police and ambulances arrived, Mike was taken to the hospital with Bill riding along. Luckily the paramedics said the stab wound looked non-fatal and would only require some stitches. Stan was off to the side talking to his wife on the phone, assuring her that he was fine. Ben and Beverly were talking with the police, describing all that happened. Connor was restrained and thrown into the back of an ambulance, still screaming threats. Eddie walked over to where Richie was standing. The paramedics had patched up his cheek but warned that it would most likely turn into a scar. 

Richie glanced at Eddie as he approached. “Hey Eds.” 

Eddie smiled, “Hey Rich.” 

They stood in silence both looking at the sky. The clouds were stuck along the horizon, drowning in the purples and oranges the sky produced. It made a warm feeling bloom in Eddie’s chest and he recalled all the sleepovers he would have with Richie where they would stay up until dawn. 

“Eddie I just wanted to say-I mean-” Richie turned to Eddie, floundering where he stood. “That is to say back there-uh I know you-” 

Eddie placed a finger over Richie’s lips, “You still owe me those pancakes you promised.” 

Richie's dumbfounded face split into the biggest grin Eddie had ever seen. “Fuck yeah! I’ll buy you as many pancakes as you want Eds.” 

Eddie smiled before reaching up and kissing Richie on the lips, “I would love that.” 

Richie was floored only for a second before his smile returned and he scooped up Eddie into his arms. “To pancakes!” He shouted. 

“Richie put me down!” Eddie tried to sound angry but couldn’t contain his own giggles. As Richie spun him around walking over to his car Eddie smiled. They would all need to discuss what went on in that mansion but for now his friends were safe and back in his life. Eddie couldn’t be happier.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so very much for reading! Comments and kudos are vastly appreciated. Feel free to say hi on any of my social medias and remember to stay safe and spooky!  
> Twitter: Pink_Medusa6  
> Tumblr: pinkmedusa6


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